NY Bar Exam Application Forum

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Just got the email
NYC was available so I chose that

[Unagi]

Just got the email.
Initially thought of taking it in Buffalo, but was able to select NYC!

[michael2015]

Selected Albany...
For no good reason.

[EvelynS]

When I got an email, NYC laptop location was not offered (only handwriting), so chose Albany. At least I don't have to derive to Buffalo from NYC for the bar exam.

[michael2015]

I hear deriving Buffalo is tough

[EvelynS]

I hear deriving Buffalo is tough

Ooops! My bad. I did not notice that.

[HLBE689]

A question for previous NY bar exam takers! - Any recommendations/insight on best way to deal with Crim Law and Crim Pro and all the distinctions and definitions that differ between MBE and NY - is there really nothing else we can do but memorize? Thanks

[victortsoi]

A question for previous NY bar exam takers! - Any recommendations/insight on best way to deal with Crim Law and Crim Pro and all the distinctions and definitions that differ between MBE and NY - is there really nothing else we can do but memorize? Thanks

second this-crazy!

[bport hopeful]

IMO, the best way to study for the NY bar is to focus on the MBE. Smoke the MBE and you can do pretty not well on the NY portions. I felt like studying the distinctions too much actually made me worse on both parts, because they are pretty different.

I don't mean that you shouldn't study the NY law, but guessing what you'll see on the NY portion is a crap shoot, where as the MBE is predictable.

And you can make up the rules on the essays and still get well over half the points.


Edit:

Also, Lean Sheets. They aren't great for learning the law, but they are solid for keeping everything straight.

[orangecup]

IMO, the best way to study for the NY bar is to focus on the MBE. Smoke the MBE and you can do pretty not well on the NY portions. I felt like studying the distinctions too much actually made me worse on both parts, because they are pretty different.

I don't mean that you shouldn't study the NY law, but guessing what you'll see on the NY portion is a crap shoot, where as the MBE is predictable.

And you can make up the rules on the essays and still get well over half the points.


Edit:

Also, Lean Sheets. They aren't great for learning the law, but they are solid for keeping everything straight.

So in essence >50% of the NY Essays are just being able to analyze the issue, regardless of which law you apply? Seems like we could just use MBE rules if we can't remember the NY distinctions then (although, would it be smart to put a caveat in the answer? E.g., "Under majority rule"? Or would it be better to say "In NY, ..."?)

[5ky]

there's really not as many distinctions as it feels like. if you condense them all into one place, it's quite easy to hammer it out at the end.

my strategy was to ignore the distinctions until the last week or two. even for NY crim essays, i would just practice writing out the MBE rules. then, towards the end, go through the lecture handouts and compile all of the distinctions into separate word documents. the crim distinctions were the longest but still only about 4 pages. once you have it separated out, it's easy to memorize the distinctions and be done with it.

[5ky]

it's still really early. i know you can't help but freak out because it seems like so much information and you'll never remember it all. that's why most people end up deciding to only focus on the MBE and ignore the state stuff.

that's a fine approach and you can pass the bar that way. it's especially helpful for your psyche right now, since it compartmentalizes things. but what i ended up doing was mostly focusing on the MBE for all of june and the first part of july. after that point, it really started to get boring and repetitive -- i wasn't gaining much from spending another 8 hours on MBE subjects and questions in the last few weeks of study.

instead, i took some time and spent about a week and just straight up memorized the lecture handouts for the most impt NY subjects -- NY practice, wills, trusts, domestic relations, corporations and PR. for PR i only focused on a few topics, like anything to do with $ and conflicts of interest. i only memorized very specific portions of secured transactions/jurisdictions/conflicts/whatever. i also memorized the NY distinctions for the MBE subjects at this time, which was very easy to do.

i really thought that the marginal benefit to sitting down and focusing on the NY subjects was worthwhile at the end. i found the NY essays to be very, very easy after having memorized the lecture handouts. i would say i was overprepared for the NY day and i really only spent a week or two on it.

there's no one way to study for the bar though. the best way is whatever works best for you. happy to answer PMs if you have specific questions.

[sd5289]

@5ky: what do you think of the strategy of focusing on MBE subjects primarily, and relying on certain NY law strengths you have (for me it's definitely Family and Criminal Law/Procedure). I worked in those areas prior to law school, and at least with Family Law, it's carried me through the Family Law / Property practice essays so far.

[myrtlewinston]

Any tips on memorising NY practice?

[5ky]

@5ky: what do you think of the strategy of focusing on MBE subjects primarily, and relying on certain NY law strengths you have (for me it's definitely Family and Criminal Law/Procedure). I worked in those areas prior to law school, and at least with Family Law, it's carried me through the Family Law / Property practice essays so far.

i don't have any experience in passing the bar without knowing the state subjects well, so it's hard for me to say. i know that a lot of people do it and do fine. to me, it seems like it'd just be even easier for you to nail the top 6 NY subjects if you know 1 of them already. the bar does really focus only on a couple issues for each topic, though, so you might want to take some time to familiarize yourself with what is expected of you for domestic relations.

[bport hopeful]

IMO, the best way to study for the NY bar is to focus on the MBE. Smoke the MBE and you can do pretty not well on the NY portions. I felt like studying the distinctions too much actually made me worse on both parts, because they are pretty different.

I don't mean that you shouldn't study the NY law, but guessing what you'll see on the NY portion is a crap shoot, where as the MBE is predictable.

And you can make up the rules on the essays and still get well over half the points.


Edit:

Also, Lean Sheets. They aren't great for learning the law, but they are solid for keeping everything straight.

So in essence >50% of the NY Essays are just being able to analyze the issue, regardless of which law you apply? Seems like we could just use MBE rules if we can't remember the NY distinctions then (although, would it be smart to put a caveat in the answer? E.g., "Under majority rule"? Or would it be better to say "In NY, ..."?)

I am not a test maker, grader, or have any affiliation with a prep company, so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but I just acted like whatever I said the law was is what the law was (if I knew it great, if not, whatever), and then analyzed the facts under the rule I put forth. If you pass, you don't see your essay scores, so I don't know exactly how that went, but during my prep course, I got decent scores even when I didn't know the law.

Chances are, when you don't know the law exactly, you'll still have a decent idea of what the law is, whether you use an MBE law or some shit you just made up, it'll be pretty close.

So in that sense, I don't think knowing the caveats of the NYS law is especially helpful.

If you can know all the law, know all the law. But I don't think most people can or will or whatever the individuals case may be. In the end, there are right and wrong answer on the MBE. Thats not the case on the essay portion.

[JenDarby]

^ agree with all of this.

[JenDarby]

I finally dropped my bar application off and my interview is scheduled for some time mid September. lol

So don't be lazy, and turn your applications in.

[thsmthcrmnl]

I finally dropped my bar application off and my interview is scheduled for some time mid September. lol

So don't be lazy, and turn your applications in.

If you don't mind answering, when did you send your application in and to which department?

[JenDarby]

I finally dropped my bar application off and my interview is scheduled for some time mid September. lol

So don't be lazy, and turn your applications in.

If you don't mind answering, when did you send your application in and to which department?

I hand delivered it to the first department today since it's near my office.

[Herdy]

Is anyone still waiting for the confirmation email about the certification of attendance and writing sample?

[teeshtee]

Is anyone still waiting for the confirmation email about the certification of attendance and writing sample?

Yes

[AReasonableMan]

Is it really hard to get 6/6 on essays? I think the worry would be is you lose some points for not knowing distinctions, and dont know what you have as you go. Plus its not just crim, its evidence, ny gen obl law in k's, torts, wills, etc.

[sd5289]

Is anyone still waiting for the confirmation email about the certification of attendance and writing sample?

I just got mine yesterday, so it seems like they're rolling in right now.

[Herdy]

Is anyone still waiting for the confirmation email about the certification of attendance and writing sample?

I just got mine yesterday, so it seems like they're rolling in right now.

Thanks! I just got mine this morning.